The Roast Of North America From Sea To Boiling Sea

If you question global warming, then you're not paying attention. Look at the temperatures on the western side of the country and across the south. Triple-digit temperatures settled in and they've made life miserable for millions. Behind them, as they leave, will be the effects we will have to deal with for some time to come.

Records are being set, then smashed as soon as they are officially recorded. These aren’t the kind of records we want to see. To ask people currently under the belt of record-breaking heatwaves, they aren’t the kind we want to feel. But, despite those that deny studies and science, this is real.

When we are questioning the studies and the proposed solutions, a scene from a movie comes to mind. It applies here because when it comes to the future of our planet, we’re considering our children’s future.

“If there’s even 1/10th of a 1 percent chance, we have to take it as a moral certainty.”

— Ben Affleck, Batman Vs. Superman

Shouldn’t the human race be chasing every possible solution regarding the sustainability of our species and world?

One needn’t look further than the current state of the environment within which we live to believe that we should turn science toward the future of humanity. It is getting worse and at a more noticeable pace. It’s up to the people of the world to open their eyes, pay attention and realize what’s coming.

Canada On Fire

No longer is a fire somewhere far away from you, not your concern. That has ended. The distance between the Canadian fires and where this is being written is at least 700 miles into the United States.

We see the haze and the foggy appearance of the smoke being carried. The fires are so big that the smokey haze has been seen by people on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean. The fires that spread for millions of acres and thousands of miles are affecting the world.

As far south as three hours south of Chicago Illinois, there is an air quality alert for residents. The air is listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as unhealthy. There are no factories, no production plants, and no giant smoking chimneys. Just the air outside.

What’s recommended? This is for the 61401 area. You can check yours from the link at the end of this article.

People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and teens, take these steps to reduce exposure:

• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities
• Keep outdoor activities short
• Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them

Everyone else:

• Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard
• Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors
• Be active outdoors when air quality is better

That is what’s recommended with an Air Quality Index of 158. In Pierre S.D. there is an AQI today of 168. During June, there were AQI measurements in Chicago, New York, and Detroit that topped 200 and even 250.

Wildfires have become a part of our seasons. From the years of winter, spring, summer, and fall, we have added fire season. News coverage has weather forecasters announcing air quality alerts it’s gotten so bad.

The growth in the fire seasons is easily identified by the rising average temperatures, decreased precipitation in both the winter seasons and rainy seasons, and drier grounds. As elevated temperatures and less rain combine, we’ve seen exponential growth in drought conditions and wildfire seasons that have been felt thousands of miles from the blazes.

Marine Heatwave Hits The US

As temperatures in the south soared into the stratosphere and remained high for the past month, people have had to look at cool-off differently due to record temperatures in the ocean waters around Florida. For many that have visited Florida in the summer, pools and the beach have been a source of relief from the often brutal heat and humidity of the sunshine state. As waters have spiked in temperatures, cooling off won’t be as easy.

Sea surface temperatures around Florida have reached the highest readings since Satellites started collecting ocean data. The warming of the ocean temperatures is starting earlier, and with record heat beating down on the surface, ruining the escape from the heat for millions of visitors and Florida residents.

It won’t just be felt by the residents and tourists. As scientists watch if fear of what’s coming, the exceptionally high temperatures are threatening the coral reefs. When ocean temperatures remain high for too long they cause the coral to bleach. The coral turns from the beautiful colors we see on screen savers and in movies to a ghostly white. This happens when the coral expels their algal food source and begins to starve to death.

Temperatures have reached as high as 97 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, pointing to a dangerous situation for the ocean ecosystem. The results can be catastrophically damaging to marine life, and subsequently, to the food supply chain that sustains the planet.

Conclusions

While the country continues to cook, and the oceans continue to boil, what can be done to make a difference? It all depends on what people want to do. Have you asked yourself, what are you willing to do?

If hundreds of millions of people changed course, committed, and did everything they could do to make a small difference, then a dent could be put into climate change. A billion, two billion, or even four billion, could put a serious dent into the problem.

The challenges are now, and the solutions are not within the reach of enough people. Governments and climate accords aren’t going to save the planet. One of the most respected presidents in the United States once was quoted as saying:

“The worst four words in the English language you’ll hear from the government are, we’re here to help.”

— Ronald Reagan

For many, there’s little they can do today. But, if it’s a commitment to not using single-use plastic bags at Walmart, you’re doing something. If you’re like some, maybe you’re saving for an electric vehicle in the hopes of cutting out your use of gasoline. If the people of the world banned together, we could mitigate climate change more than any of our governments that can’t agree on anything.

Then, the sins of the fathers don’t have to be visited by the sons. Otherwise, we’re leaving little more than a dystopian nightmare world for our children and grandchildren to live in, and that will be the tragedy of staying the course on an unsustainable road.

Thank you for reading. If you want to learn more about the dangers of Marine Heatwaves, or other things about our environmental crisis, check out these articles.